Jump Start # 891

Luke 9:23 “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

Following Jesus—that is the key to discipleship and fundamental to Christianity. Following anything, shows interests, commitment, acceptance, approval and a desire to learn more. This is true of political campaigns, TV shows, sports teams and Christianity. Rock stars have a following. Environmental efforts have a following. Baseball teams have a following.

In this passage, Jesus identifies what following means. It’s not at a distance. It’s not passive. It’s not a weekend warrior. It’s not once in a while. It’s all in or nothing. It’s Jesus’ way or nothing. There are many who wish to come after Jesus. What Jesus says makes sense. Jesus is found to be kind, accepting and especially forgiving. The social outcasts found a friend in Jesus. But mostly, folks understand that if they want to go to Heaven, then they must follow Jesus. Many wish to follow Jesus. To do that Jesus gave three requirements.

First, a person must deny self. Selfishness is gone. What I want is out the window. No more, ‘here’s what I think.’ Deny self. Push self to the back. To follow Jesus we must let Jesus’ will prevail. There was a book many years ago entitled, “God is my co-pilot.” If God is the co-pilot, then who is the pilot? Self? That concept is getting close but it still misses what Jesus says. When it comes to what I want and what Jesus wants, unless I deny self, I’ll still do what I want. If I don’t feel like it, then I won’t do it. Too many still operate that way. If I don’t feel like going to church services because I’m tired, stressed or just not into it today, then I won’t. Self hasn’t been denied. If I don’t want to be nice to someone, then I won’t. Self hasn’t been denied. Jesus took the apostles to Samaria, a place that they would not have gone to. Deny self. Jesus allowed a sinful woman to wash His feet, while the Simon the leper stewed about that. Deny self. Jesus went to the home of Zacchaeus, a tax collector. The Pharisees blew a gasket on that one. Deny self.

Self is our biggest problem. Self gets in the way of doing what we should. Self talks us out of the difficult, the risky, the things Jesus would have us to do. Self is about feelings. Self is about appearance. Self is more interested in being happy than holy. Self wants to look good, feel good and have a good time.

Deny self. Say no to self. That means doing things that you don’t particularly feel like doing, but it’s what Jesus wants you to do. Denying self will have you pick up the phone and call someone to see how they are doing. Denying self will have you talk to the guy at work about coming to church services. Denying self will have you apologize to someone you gossiped about. Denying self will have you give up your favorite TV show, a Saturday morning, a day off, to do something for someone else. Denying self will have you visit a small congregation during a Gospel meeting to encourage them. Denying self will have you giving some dollars to a family that could use it. Denying self is more interested in others than self. Denying self is more about Jesus than self. Denying self is being humble. Denying self is being a servant. Denying self is the hardest aspect of following Jesus. It will keep us going when it is hard. It keeps us going when we are tired. It keeps us going when it seems that little good is being done. It keeps us going.

The spirit of denying self is counter to the American way. Our founding fathers gave us liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That pursuit has led to selfishness. I get to do what I want, whether it’s right or not or offends others of not. Isn’t that the drive behind abortion or same-sex marriages? We want it, so we will have it. It makes us happy. If you don’t agree with what I want, then you are wrong. Have you sensed that spirit lately? It’s everywhere.

Gone is denying self, even in churches. If someone doesn’t get what they want, off they go to find a church that they want. Worship has become, in many modern churches, about pleasing the audience and not pleasing God. Fun is in. Exciting is the theme. Many have given up on following the pattern of the New Testament and remaining true to the old, old Gospel. What’s happened? We’ve forgotten to let go of self.

Deny self. Choose Jesus over self. You aren’t really following Jesus until you have done this. Sure, you can still go to worship services, read your Bible and even pray. But the moment you come to the intersection of self and Jesus, you’ll find ways, reasons and excuses to do what self wants. This happens every time until self has been denied.

This isn’t easy. Jesus never said it was. This is a constant struggle. You’ll do well some days and other days, you’ll sense self rising to the top and trying to take control again. Don’t let that happen. Deny…deny…deny.

Roger